Iberostar hosted the first of its Chef on Tour series for 2018 with Bryce Shuman creating a fabulous six-course dinner — a formidable start to the series.

The event took place last Saturday at the Iberostar Grand Hotel along the Elegant Corridor in Rose Hall in the resort city of Montego Bay.

The Chef on Tour series showcases haute cuisine by leading Michelin Star chefs serving up their finest creations at unique gastronomy events at Iberostar properties in Jamaica, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. Shuman currently has 1 Michelin Star under his toque blanche and was the executive chef at Betony Restaurant in New York before moving on to Primrose at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas last year. He previously had stints in San Francisco, working for Wolfgang Puck at Postrio and Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinksi at the Rubicon.

The evening’s fare was inspired by Jamaican spices, fruits and the sea, especially in keeping with the Lenten season. Caribbean Producers Jamaica (CPJ) provided the wine pairings for the evening and Fresh by Rainforest supplied the ikura, Scottish plaice and the pink snapper.

The first course of Ikura (salmon roe or soft-shelled eggs, caviar) with celery, yogurt and rye featured a distinctly salty taste stemming from the ingredients being washed with water from just off the coast of Jamaica. This was paired with Casillero del Diablo Brut, a Chilean sparkling wine blend with uncommon and unusual grape varieties with a citrusy and oak tree taste due to the ageing process.

A marinated Scottish plaice with Jamaican lemon and ginger was served next and paired with Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve, a sauvignon blanc featuring luscious honeysuckle, ripe pear and lemongrass. The pairing choice received several nods of approval as the wine nicely complemented the simplicity of the dish. This was followed by a slow-poached pink snapper infused with ginger and lemongrass and served with fresh green curry and coconut purée. Silver Palm Chardonnay with flavours of white peach, Gravenstein apple and Meyer lemon served as the pairing for the snapper.

The evening’s fourth course consisted of spiny lobster with Caribbean spices such as mace (shell of the nutmeg) and pimento paired with Josh Legacy Red Blend. This dense red wine is lush with flavours of plum, black currant and dark chocolate.

Roasted beef tenderloin with spring onion and potato and a Reserve Mouton Cadet Saint Emillion from France brought out arguably the night’s best offering, but some guests posited the pink snapper was their favourite for the night. In keeping with the Lenten season some guests opted for the salmon entrée in lieu of the beef.

Chef Shuman explained that his welcome to Jamaica was so good that he was inspired to create a ‘butter rum’ dessert that matched his “feel-good feeling”. The dish featured hazelnuts, butterscotch with gold dust and ice cream, and was paired with a late-harvest Sauternes, Mouton Cadet out of France.

Chef Shuman also stated that he was trying to learn as much as he could about Jamaican cuisine and the different food types he could incorporate in his dishes back home in the US.

“Coming to Jamaica is a big thing. I wanted to come here and learn something, I got to know a little about jerk and ackee and salt fish. I love soursop; it’s really complex and interesting and I plan on exploring it some more and to see how I can use it,” Shuman stated.

Director of Operations, Iberostar Hotels-Jamaica, Philipp Hofer explained that the focus for this year was to increase the use of local products and incorporating more local cuisine.

“For this year our focus is on Jamaican flavours and cuisine; we are looking forward to hosting very good chefs with international experience and a very exciting year,” said Hofer.